State cracks down on 'doctor shopping'

Wow. More than 2900 people, huh?

Wonder how much that "major campaign" launched today cost.

But that's not in the article.

Your tax dollars at work.

Harrybosch - You're obviously not understanding the level of drug abuse that is presently disintegrating families throughout the Commonwealth and which inevitably results in increased health care costs that far outweigh the costs of this program.

Between a series of buck-passing specialists and a primary care doc who had no interest in coordinating care, I ended up with prescriptions last year from 8 different doctors in the space of 2 months.

I fill prescriptions at the closest pharmacy to where I'm doing other errands, since they never fill them immediately, so I routinely use a variety of pharmacies. I'm sure other people with more expensive medications go to the place that has the lowest price for each medication, even if that means going to a number of different pharmacies.

This isn't about drug abuse. This is about hassling people for whom the medical system already isn't working very well. And when this reporting system doesn't catch enough folks with real problems, they'll lower the bar for reporting to try to catch more people to justify the system's existence.

As a physician I welcome anything that can get these people out of my office. They are difficult to detect in a environment where the government is more concerned with confidentiality than care.

What about people using the internet for scripts? Who polices that?

Let's not even mention the fact that most of these "MD shoppers" are medicaid related patients. These patients' prescriptions are paid for by tax dollars.

Prescription drug abuse cost the Commonwealth of Massachusetts millions. Addressing the public health crisis of prescription drug abuse is not a fiscal tradeoff. For DPH to suggest it is prohibitively expensive to create an effective prescription drug monitoring program reveals a narrow vision and passive approach which is literally costing the Commonwealth huge amounts of money. This lack of vision is depleting our budget and our resources. You would expect public health officials to do a little research on this, especially in the era of soaring health care costs and universal health care. The nation is watching Massachusetts and this is our opportunity to shine. DPH and Health and Human Services should not advocate for, they should demand that we improve public safety and save our tax dollars by implementing an effective prescription drug monitoring program. Such a program will pay for itself in short time, as would increased interagency cooperation to detect abuse and diversion of prescription drugs. Today and in the years to come we will save lives and money through prevention and early detection.

Many states around the country are reporting that overdose deaths related to prescription drug abuse have surpassed overdose deaths from illicit drug abuse. If that’s not the case in Massachusetts, it will be soon. If we do not aggressively address prescription drug abuse we are simply neglecting public safety and acting fiscally irresponsible. Public health policies in a state like Massachusetts should be better then that.

Response to K.P.R. - At this time states are making an effort to police internet pharmacies but it is almost totally ineffective. There are several reasons for this including the fact that most internet pharmacies operate from multiple states. The actual pharmacy is in one state, the doctor in another and the “patient” in any state, or country for that matter. Federal law enforcement will need to combat this enormous problem but not all that much can be done until Washington makes this a priority. Whether this will happen or not depends on how much influence pharmaceutical lobbyists have over our elected officials.

great more laws to fill up our jails as long as someone is an adult its there choice. some people seek relief through varios means if their goin to a couple dr s and paying out of pocket big deal. Theses idiot politicians egged on by the moron joe and jane 6 packs who dont believe the ridiculous laughable drug war should end has now spurred this. Its funny all u republicans who are for freedom don t want to let people have freedom over their own bodies, want to regulate certain sex acts(eg getting phelatio is illegal in some republican run states)> Something tells me the only freedom their interested in is corporate freedom to ship jobs out of the country. Drugs(even pharms, sex and nething else thats fun or make u feel good they abhore its immoral and most imp the majority of joe and jane 6 packs won t vote for them if they back down on this didn tprohibition teach us ne thing. Stang that the actual most destructive drugs alcohol and cigareetes r just fine. The harm just these 2 drugs do is astronomically greater than legal or illegal drugs. We got enough laws and the jails r crowded enough with nonviolent drug offenders but i guess thats not enough for u stupid conformists .So long and a big f u to ne 1 who supports this additional travesty on regular people

As one who is very well informed and aware of the abuse of prescription drugs, I agree that "society" must respond to the growing number of deaths that occur from prescription drugs. I have both counseled and educated our youth and families whose lives have been destroyed due to drug abuse. However as someone who lives with chronic pain, it is demeaning and humiliating when one's primary care physician with hold medication that have been approved by specialists in both neurology and pain management. Just today, I was asked to sign a "contract" in exchange for my prescription for pain management . The contract was extensive and somewhat ridiculous in some of its' mandates. It felt like extortion. Sign or you don't get you meds. It was horribly demeaning. Unfortunately her interest in being protected from litigation or censure was more important than my physical and emotional health. I am concerned that the"contract" will become a part of my permanent health record. I was not comfortable signing it and wish I did not!

I personally don't believe in government making decisions for healthy minded adults. The problem here is that the people that are doctor shopping are seeking a dose of medication, almost always opiates, that is unsafe and detrimental to their life and the lives of the people closest to them. My father was/is a recovering alcoholic that has not taken a drink in over 10 years. The problem is that he just transferred his addiction to prescription narcotics. He is actually worse off now after 10 years of heavy oxycontin and methadone abuse than he was after 10 years of drinking a fifth of vodka a day, everyday. He has not worked in 10 years due to some chronic conditions that have symptoms very similar to uncontrolled diabetes but he is not a diabetic. The symptoms are neuropathy of the feet and legs and poor circulation in the legs. I understand that he does need pain management but he takes it to another level. He medicates himself to a level where he is completely incapacitated. I'm talking unable to speak, unable to stay awake during a meal or anything else longer than about 10. He started this when he was 44 years old and I was 22. I have supported him financially during this time since he has been turned down for SS disability. I feel that I am enabling him but can not accept him becoming homeless. I finally was able to get him on Medicaid since he had a leg amputated 3 months ago. The amputation was due to a pressure ulcer on the heel of his foot from standing for unimaginable periods of time in a zombie state. I mean for 6 to 8 hrs at a time not moving in a catotonic state most of the time. When he comes off of his meds when he runs out he is mostly normal except for extreme withdrawal symptoms that last for up to two weeks or until he is able to obtain another script. I just want you super liberals to know that there is a problem out there far worse than alcohol that is not very different than street heroin except that it is far easier to obtain for the average person. I would be willing to net that my father stays higher for longer than the worst street junkies. And his docs keep giving him more. What's the answer here?

Small government! oh except when it comes to things we don't like... Anyone got a beer?

I am the 'father'. I did drink the pain away for many years, until one day when the pain was too bad to drink away and almost killed me-alcohol poisoning. After that I quit drinking and opted for the oxy's. Now I go from refill to refill date and occasionally they are stolen or I just take too many on a bad day and run out before the end of the cycle. Then the withdrawals .....they're awful.
Until there is a cure for pain I don't think there is a chance for any improvement. I do know, more government in any form is not the solution. I hope that's a bad joke.

I am the 'father'. I did drink the pain away for many years, until one day when the pain was too bad to drink away and almost killed me-alcohol poisoning. After that I quit drinking and opted for the oxy's. Now I go from refill to refill date and occasionally they are stolen or I just take too many on a bad day and run out before the end of the cycle. Then the withdrawals .....they're awful.
Until there is a cure for pain I don't think there is a chance for any improvement. I do know, more government in any form is not the solution. I hope that's a bad joke.